Chapter One, the Primary Instruments
As mentioned in the Introduction, Necromancers can control the Dead. In this chapter, you will learn about the main objects and instruments that are used inside the Nine Precincts. These objects are the standard required tools of a learning Necromancer or Abhorsen-in-waiting. To abandon any of these tools before entering can have disastrous consequences. Sound is of strong importance for survival in the non-living realms and often just the right-pitched whistle or hum could free you from an underling's grip, but simple notes do not hold the same amount of power as the bells.
The Bells
The Bells are a Necromancer's Primary tool. The seven bells, Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth and Astarael command the Dead and sometimes the Living to the wielders will. The man (or woman) behind the bell determines the use of the bell and swings it in different patterns to do different things.
The Making of the bells:
The seven bells are made out of a mineral/metal called Tolovkite. Tolovkite is the main ingredient, as it were, in the bell, reinforcing it against any damage or shattering it may encounter. The Tolovkite is then buttressed with a mixture of liquid silver and aluminium. The minerals are then combined and knitted together with Free Magic and moulded into shape. The makers of the bells have long since died out, the Wall Makers that existed many years ago.
As goes the Nursery Rhyme:
Five Great Charters knit the land
Together linked, hand in hand
One in the people who wear the crown
Two in the folk who keep the dead down
Three and Five became stone and mortar
Four sees all in frozen water.
This rhyme is useful in many areas in the understanding of Charter Magic.
The bell is then fixed with all the necessary attachments before the final symbols are attached to each recognised bell. The Free Magic is what creates the sound of the bells. The bell is finally finished with the attachment of a wooden handle, preferably made of mahogany. The handle is infused with both Free Magic and Charter, which creates a balance that spreads through the entire bell. The Charter, though never used by the common Necromancer in combat, balances the properties of the bell, preventing the bells from being the dominant power to the submissive power of the wielder, though some bells lack in the submissive Charter marks, those especially being ones used mainly for true acts of Necromancy rather than that of the Abhorsen.
: For convenience, I will refer to the wielder as male, not due to sexist or anti-feminist reasons, solely on the fact I am lazy and would prefer to just write he rather than he/she or he or she every time I come to a point when this is required.
How to move the Bells:
The seven bells hold particular properties, such as the ability to bind a dead or living person. Though some of the bells are known to sound heavily distorted when rung in the Living world, in the lands of the Dead the sound may be much different. Sound, as mentioned before, is of great importance, and can travel with greater strength and speed when infused with any form of magic. The primary focus in this sub-section of the chapter will be on the five basic motions of the clapper of each bell.
Ranna:
To achieve a basic drowsing effect, you must hold the bell in your left hand and let the clapper strike the side of the bell sharply by flicking your wrist in a 90-degree angle so that your wrist and arm form a straight line. This motion is best performed with the bell first facing down. The drowsing effect will shortly confuse and dull the mind of the opponent, buying time from around ten seconds to sometimes ten minutes, depending on the reverberation.
The next sound is the Archindale Effect, more commonly called the Yawner's Roll. The Yawner's Roll sets off a chain reaction along any line of beings. This technique was first introduced when the Necromancer Archindale stunned a whole line of Ancelstierrian Soldiers during the Battle at Cloven Crest. Archindale, now deceased, was one of the first Charter Mage/Necromancers aside from the Abhorsens. Raising the bell above your head in either hand performs the Archindale Effect. You have to roll it in your wrist, making sure the clapper does not go higher than the diameter of the underside of the bell. The note should be clear and constant, giving a hypnotic effect on the listener. If the bell exceeds the 180 lines, a melodic tune will be produced that loops repeatedly.
The melodic tune that occurs if the Archindale Effect is not conducted properly is the Hamlet String. An unfortunate Necromancer using the inferior version of the Bells, the Pan Pipes, first conducted the Hamlet String. Marnus Pied played the Hamlet String without realising its effect. The melodic waves attracted what the player was thinking, in this case rats and sent them into a sleep from which they could never awake. When Marnus learnt of this deadly tune he killed the children of his town. This song would be a powerful weapon if it were not for its flaws. Marnus also died with his Hamlet String and since then no one has been able to conduct the melody to the same powerful reaction as it had done. Now, all the Hamlet String does is send the wielder into a coma.
To send non-magic beings into a slumber you must withdraw the bell and hold it in your left hand and you must roll it in a figure-of-eight, bringing the rim of the bell to the skin of your forearm each time. The more Ôeights' you do, the wider the range of the noise. This technique can also send dead which are in the living world into the First Precinct of death.
The last of the most common bell sweeps is the Solitary Slumber. The Solitary Slumber sends any thing, even the strongest of the Greater Dead to sleep when they are wearing the Black Ring, binding them until someone undoes the collar the Black Ring becomes. Other instruments that may be used in the Solitary Slumber are noted later in the book but the Black Ring is the most commonly used and most powerful as it only affects the bound.
Mosrael:
The first and most simple waking tune is the Apparition. The Apparition wakes up any spirits in the Living or Dead world, depending on location. The wielder must be careful with this simple gesture as it also wakes up or alerts everything else within the reverberating range. The Apparition is usually a good way to alert Charter Sendings of one's arrival, or to bring attention to you in a crowd. Mosrael is tricky though, and the Apparition must be swung with two hands. To perform the Apparition, you must swing the bell in an anti-clockwise direction, making sure the clapper rolls, or preferably scrapes, along the rim of the bell. The other way would repel everything away from you, which may sound like a good thing, if it were not for the fact that having everything repelled from you would push you into death.
The second is slightly more complicated and requires a certain amount of skill. The name of this move is the Silent Swing. The Silent Swing requires both Kibeth and Mosrael to be swung in the same direction at the same time. It must be done so that the clapper at any time does not touch the rim. This creates an in-audible pulse that, when in death, awakes the spirits and pulls them forwards through the Gates of Death. The wielder is then thrown into the next precinct, creating a seesaw effect. If he is inexperienced and does not return to the other precincts before his Dead friend gets to the first precinct, he will be cast into the Ninth Precinct and beyond, whilst his Deadly friend will walk freely in life.
The third, more dangerous swing is the Righter Rift. Everything must be done going right for it to work. The wielder of Mosrael swings the bell to his right and spins in a circle, constantly going right. He must not let go of the bell and keep it in the same position as started. The spin will continue with the sound of the bell, which will be one similar to nails on a blackboard, whether the Necromancer can control it or not. The Righter Rift will put dead bodies in to animation like puppets. The sound of the Righter Rift is a sweet lullaby to Dead ears and draws recently dead beings up to the Third Precinct towards the collection of bodies. The Righter Rift's rotation opens a portal into death.
The fourth is very dangerous, as it is the creating motion of Hands. The Necromancer must first have a dead body with no head to become his Hand. He then holds Mosrael in one hand and extends the other, then he must move his arms gracefully up and down, so one is pointing up and the other down by his side. He then switches the arms so the one that was down is now pointing up and so on. Greater Necromancers tend to use two bells when they want greater and longer-lasting spirits.
The last and most deadly is the sacrifice. The Necromancer forfeits his own life for the awakening of another. This practice is hardly ever used, due to selfishness between Free Magic Necromancers and the Forbidden Rule of the Abhorsen. To achieve this you must have three key things, Ash, Bone and Blood. Then you would have to leave your body and enter the world of the Dead. You would then have to find a Dead that would be suitable for the body of a Necromancer and sound Mosrael. For this sound the bell must be struck once by you then once by your Dead counterpart. Then the Dead would ring Ranna in the motion of the Solitary Slumber and you would drift with the river to the Ninth Precinct.
Kibeth:
The first ring of Kibeth's many notes is the Death Walk. To achieve this you must ring both Saraneth and Kibeth at the same time. Saraneth must be swung in a slow and steady rhythm and Kibeth must ring once between every strike of Saraneth whilst also ringing in unison. This formula is written: 2, 1&2, 2, 1&2 etc. This rhythm is very difficult but it sends the one chained as far as the Necromancer or Abhorsen wishes. The Death Walk is the most common of the Bell movements used by the Abhorsen. It allows the wielder the power to make any dead foe bound by the bells walk through all the Precincts. It is the most useful sound that can be made to those who oppose the way of the common Necromancer.
The second ring is exactly the same as the first, except you swing Saraneth and Kibeth together which gives you control on what the Dead does in the living realm. This creates a type of umbilical cord that lets you move the dead to your will.
The next is the Summoning Mourn. Ringing the bell in the shape of a triangle makes a slow and remorseful note that, when played in the first Precinct, will pull whatever spirit to him. The Summoning Mourn can be played in any Precinct but the father in, the more dangerous the spirit and the more likely it is that the wielder will be eaten.
The fourth is the Walk. When the bell is swung clockwise, it allows any creature the ability to move, and when swung anti-clockwise, it paralyzes the foe. It is a practised skill to keep up the swing for the time it needs to finish off and is best used when invisible or undetectable.
Dyrim and Belgaer:
The first of Dyrims five basic notes is the Tongue Talker. The Tongue Talker allows any Dead the ability to speak. To perform the Tongue Talker, you must swing the bell in a U shape. Start with the bell extended out with your hand and arm making a straight line before curling your wrist until you get back to the straight line again with your wrist curved at an angle. This creates a gabbling tune that can sound remarkably like wordless speech. The swing is best done with the right hand.
The second swing is called the Stiffener. The Stiffener is made by one sharp note played on the bottom of the bell, played like the Drowsing Effect; it quells the tongue and literally stiffens the muscle. The Stiffener lasts for up to two days in the living world and eternity in the lands of Death, unless someone decides to use the Tongue Talker.
The third and fourth control the mind, both played with Belgaer. The first gives freedom of thought, Dyrim needed to allow the conscience part of the brain that people have described as talk. It restores the part of the brain that is used when you talk inside your head and gives you a conscious freedom. The other swings of Belgaer will be discussed later. The second shuts off all power of thought or feeling, the exact opposite of the third stroke.
To perform the third stroke, you must roll the bell clockwise so the clapper strokes the inside. This process must be continued several times before the wielder can be assured the person if fully restored.
The fourth stroke must be done spinning the opposite way in exactly the same motion. This will erase all memories and thoughts.
Saraneth:
The first ring is the ring of Strength. Four rings are made in four opposite sides to each other achieve this. The rings should strengthen the north, east, south and west corners or sides of the focused object in mind. Saraneth will be continued on later in the book with a chapter devoted to it.
Astarael has only one ring. To perform it, the person must merely sweep it in a circular motion until he dies.
The Pipes
Possibly one of the most useful training devices created by the Great Charter. The silver panpipes, made of the same substance as the bells, are bound together with reeds that are infused with charter to balance the free magic. The Pipes work in the same way as the bells and all of the before described motions can be applied to the Pipes. The way this is applied is with the holes on the Pipe's length. There are several holes, each with a distinct chip in them. When the first is covered, the Pipe produces one sharp single note cast in the same as on the first corner of the bell. The bell has the same notches engraved into the bell's corners for user reference. The same applies to the next three, all with added notches to fit the bell counterpart angles. The next one creates a continuous noise that reflects the sweep of the wrist. The sixth hole is for the figure of eight and the seventh is held for combinations. If no hole is covered, the pipe plays what the basic description of each bell tells it to do accordingly. Therefore, if someone chose Ranna, it would bring sleep as it is written in the bell description. The Pipes are filled with less power and less trickery than the bells but they can sometimes be difficult for living by the book. The pipes are generally given to Necromancer Apprentices and Abhorsens-in-waiting.
The Dark Mirror; a Briefing
The Dark Mirror is a powerful object with the power to allow Remembrancers glimpses into the past. To do this they must enter Death and use the mirror as instructed in their accompanying book that acts like the Book of the Dead. This book describes the full rituals of Remembering and gives the Remembrancer the power to make others forget. Remembrancers can see into any past, though how far back they can to go in time depends on how far in to the Precincts they dare venture
The Black Umbrella
The Black Umbrella is a rare object that is found usually through a family line connected to the Great Charter. The Black Umbrella, though it may sound like the Dark Mirror and Dark Ring, has a different use in death rather than using Necromancial powers to wield it. The Black Umbrella is a shield, used as a last hope in the Living World against Dead foes. The Black Umbrella, lost in time and over many centuries, has powers much like the bells in manipulating the deceased spirits that one may encounter. If an Abhorsen held the Black Umbrella whilst ringing, say, Saraneth, his powers would be amplified. The Black Umbrella is a strong connecter of Charter Magic, feeding off the power of Charter Stones, almost like a Charter Extension. The Black Umbrellas are said to be the more advanced types of wands, giving the wielder stronger and more efficient powers. There are only said to be three types of these left, namely in the Abhorsen house, the Clayr's Glacier and Belisaere, though the Black Umbrella at Belisaere was supposedly sent to the Holehallow, the last resting place of the kings.
The Black Umbrella is made of Shadow, an almost mythical substance contained in the Great Library.
A story on the creation of Shadow is of Donovan and Philotheos.
Donovan, the Prince of darkness was the son of Thanatos. Thanatos, the God of Death in Ancient Philothian. Philotheos, the last King of the Ancient civilization, captured Donovan and locked him in Mt. Aunden to banish all darkness from his happy civilization. Donovan then shed his darkness, opening portals into the non-living realms and cursed the world before creating the Nine Precincts of Death so all Dead could suffer with the knowledge they could easily walk back to life but could not swim in the river. When Thanatos found his son dead, he destroyed the Philothian race in anger and then retreated into Death to find his son. Donovan had become the mythical Boatman, only letting the worthy enter the last place in death, and when he found his father wandering in the endless fields of his creation, Donovan took him aboard the boat and they both sailed into the Ninth Precinct. When Donovan had shed his darkness, the five Great Charter protected the land that is the Old Kingdom, collecting some of the shadow and changing it into good, but Donovan's power created a unique shift in the map of the land and preserved the magic the land had once held. This magic is now called Free Magic.
This is one of the Creation Stories about death that will be looked at, and is the most popular. It has been known that there is some truth behind the story of Donovan and Philotheos regarding the Great Charter. The Shadow is now used for many dark instruments inside the Old Kingdom and beyond.
End of Chapter One
The Book of the Dead will continue in Chapter Two, Understanding Charter and Free Magic